KFB (Knit Front and Back)
KFB is a simple increase technique where you knit into both the front and back loop of the same stitch, turning one stitch into two.
Explanation
KFB (knit front and back) is one of the easiest increase techniques to learn and suits beginners well. You first knit into the front loop as normal but leave the stitch on the left needle, then knit into the back loop of the same stitch and let both new stitches drop off. The method leaves a small, visible 'bar' on the right side just above the increase, making it less discreet than M1R/M1L, but it is very reliable and quick to work.
Also known as: Knit Front and Back, Bar increase
How to work KFB
Knit the stitch as usual but leave it on the left needle. Then knit into the back loop of the same stitch and slide it off. You have made two stitches out of one.
The method is quick and easy to remember, and needs no extra manipulation of the strand between stitches.
The bump it leaves
KFB leaves a small horizontal bar that reads like a purl stitch beside the increase. In garter and textured patterns it disappears completely. In stockinette it shows, and there M1L and M1R are usually the better choice.
Some designers use the bar deliberately as a decorative element along raglan lines.
Why patterns choose KFB anyway
KFB leaves a visible bar at the base of the new stitch, which is exactly the objection to it. It is nonetheless the right choice more often than its reputation suggests.
It is the easiest increase to work correctly under any tension, which matters for a beginner, and it is genuinely invisible in garter stitch and in seed stitch, where the fabric is already full of horizontal texture. It also does not consume the strand between stitches, so it can be worked at the very edge of a piece where M1L and M1R cannot. Where it looks wrong is smooth stockinette on a fitted garment — there, the bar reads as a flaw.
Common mistakes
- Using KFB in stockinette where the bar is clearly visible.
- Sliding the stitch off after the first half, leaving only one stitch.
Keywords
- KFB
- knit front and back
- increase
Frequently asked questions
Is KFB the same as a bar increase?
Yes, the bar increase is the common name for it in US patterns, after the small bar it leaves.
Why does my KFB look like a knot?
That is the normal bump from the method. To avoid it, use M1L or M1R instead.
Does KFB add one stitch or two?
One. You work twice into a single stitch, so you end up with two stitches where there was one — a net gain of one. Miscounting this is a common cause of stitch counts that drift by exactly the number of increases worked.